The Allied war against Turkish forces gains momentum (and ground) in Mesopotamia as British and Indian troops move along the Tigris River in early 1917, recapturing the city of Kut-al-Amara and taking 1,730 Turkish prisoners on February 24.

Ten months after nearly 12,000 British and Indian troops had been captured there—considered by many the most humiliating surrender in the history of the British army—Kut fell into the hands of a British corps commanded by Sir Frederick Maude. After being appointed commander of the Tigris Corps in Mesopotamia in July 1916 and of the entire Mesopotamian front a month later, Maude had immediately begun to reorganize and re-supply the troops in the region in preparation for a renewed offensive against Kut.

In early January, Maude’s 150,000 troops launched their attacks on Khadairi Bend, a heavily fortified town on the Tigris north of Kut. It fell on January 29, and the British troops continued onward to the main offensive, the Second Battle of Kut, which began with attacks on both Turkish flanks on February 17.

Overwhelmed, Turkish forces under commander Karabekir Bey retreated from Kut on February 24. They were pursued by a flotilla of British naval gunboats, including the Mantis, Moth and Tarantula. Outrunning their counterparts on the ground, the crew of the British ships found themselves under fire from four Turkish vessels some 30 kilometers north of Kut at Nahr-al-Kalek. In the gun battle that followed, the British soundly defeated the Turks, destroying three of the Turkish ships and capturing the fourth, the former British monitor ship Firefly.

Encouraged by their victory at Kut, Maude’s forces pushed on towards Baghdad, which would fall on March 11.
www.historychannel.com_________________Met hart en ziel
De enige echte

Mr. COWAN asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to regulations recently enforced in France and Germany forbidding the use in public places of unprotected hat-pins; and whether, having regard to the number of serious accidents which have resulted in this country from the use of unprotected hat-pins, he will take such steps, by legislation or otherwise, as may be necessary to protect the public from a serious and growing danger?

Mr. McKENNA The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I have no power to make any regulations in the matter, and I am afraid that I cannot undertake to introduce legislation; but, if the practice can be shown to be a public; danger, the local authorities might deal with it under their power of making bylaws for good rule and government. In the case of tramcars, by-laws might be made under the Tramways Act, 1870.

Mr. WATT Will the right hon. Gentleman see that women do not get the vote until they have voluntarily adopted this protection?

While the Russians were being driven out of East Prussia, a German Army, commanded by General Gallwitz, had invaded Russia and aimed a sudden blow at Przasnysz, a town lying some 50 miles north of Warsaw. If this position could be taken, the Germans would have no difficulty in cutting the railway between Warsaw and Petrograd.

On February 24, 1915, the Germans stormed the town, which was garrisoned by a force of 40,000 infantry, with some cavalry in support. Przasnysz was evacuated the next day, the Russians making an orderly retreat and contesting every foot of the ground.

http://www.aukevisser.nl/etm/id344.htm_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

The following day, 24 February, German troops succeeded in over-running the French second line of trenches, forcing the defenders to within 8 kilometres of Verdun itself. Nevertheless, two outer forts, Vaux and Douaumont, continued to hold out.

A French division sent in piecemeal that same day was dispersed under heavy German artillery fire.

On 24 February, the French defenders of XXX Corps fell back again from their second line of defence, but were saved from disaster by the appearance of the XX Corps under General Maurice Balfourier. Intended as relief, the new arrivals were thrown into combat immediately. That evening French Army chief of staff, General de Castelnau, advised his commander-in-chief, General Joffre, that the French Second Army, under General Philippe Pétain, ought to be brought up to reinforce the Verdun sector. In the meantime, the Germans were now in possession of Beaumont, the Bois des Fosses, the Bois des Caurières and were moving up the Hassoule ravine which led directly to Fort Douaumont.

On 24 February, at 4:30 PM, infantrymen from three companies of the German 24th (Brandenburg) regiment entered the centrepiece of the French fortification system: Fort Douaumont. The first German party to find an entry into the fort was led by a Sergeant Kunze. He was followed by other raiders led by Lieutenant Cordt von Brandis, Lieutenant Radtke, and Captain Haupt. The whole German raiding party, made up of only 19 officers and 79 soldiers, promptly overwhelmed the small French garrison (68 men) and forced its surrender.

In Short: A note sent in 1917 from the German Foreign Minister Zimmermann to his ambassador in Mexico, containing details of a proposed alliance against America; it was intercepted and published, strengthening US public support for war against Germany as part of World War One.

The Zimmermann Telegram: Sent through a supposedly secure channel devoted to peace negotiations (a transatlantic cable belonging to Scandinavia) on January 19th 1917, the 'Zimmermann Telegram' – often called the Zimmermann Note - was a memo sent from the German Foreign Minister Arthur Zimmermann to the German Ambassador to Mexico. It informed the ambassador that Germany would be resuming its policy of Unrestricted Submarine Warfare (USW) and, crucially, ordered him to propose an alliance.
If Mexico would join in a war against the US, they would be rewarded with financial support and re-conquered land in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The ambassador was also to ask the Mexican President to propose his own alliance to Japan, a member of the Allies.

Why did Germany send the Zimmermann Telegram?: Germany had already stopped and started USW - a program of sinking any shipping coming near their enemies in an attempt to starve them of food and materials - because of fierce US opposition. America's official neutrality involved trading with all belligerents, but in practice this meant the Allies and their Atlantic coastlines rather than Germany, who suffered from a British blockade. Consequently, US shipping was frequently a victim.
The German high command knew renewed USW would probably cause the US to declare war on them, but they gambled on shutting Britain down before an American army could arrive in force. The alliance with Mexico and Japan, as proposed in the Zimmermann Telegram, was intended to create a new Pacific and Central American Front, greatly distracting the US and aiding the German war effort. Indeed, after USW resumed the US severed diplomatic relations with Germany and began debating an entry into the war.

The Leak: However, the 'secure' channel wasn't secure at all: British intelligence intercepted the telegram and, recognising the effect it would have on US public opinion, released it to America on February 24th 1917. Some accounts claim the US State Department were also illegally monitoring the channel; either way, US President Wilson saw the note on the 24th. It was released to the world press on March 1st.

Reactions to the Zimmermann Telegram: Mexico and Japan immediately denied having anything to do with the proposals (indeed, the Mexican President was content at a recent American withdrawal from his country and Germany could offer little beyond moral support), while Zimmermann admitted the Telegram's authenticity on March 3rd.
Despite Germany's complaint that the Allies had been wiretapping secure peace networks, the US public - still concerned at Mexico's intentions following trouble between the two - was aghast. A vast majority reacted to both the Note, and weeks of growing anger at USW, by backing war against Germany. When the American Congress approved Wilson's decision to declare war on April 6th, there was just 1 vote against.

Full text of The Zimmermann Telegram: "On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America.
If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement.
You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.
Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.
Zimmerman"
(Sent January 19, 1917)

Dear Ma, Just a line to let you know I have come through another terrible fight all right. No doubt you will have seen something about the fall of Jericho. Well that was the result of our attacks. We lost a lot of boys in the affair; 4 or 5 in my old company were laid out. A good job I am in A Co. now. I must have brought my luck with me because my old platoon suffered very badly, we had 4 hours continuous fight to get one hill but we made the old Turk run in the end. As a reward we are being half starved again. Bully & biscuits that's all & not much water. Still we hope for something better. It is still raining hard. We are nearly washed out of our levy. The other officers in my levy all soaked through. I am lucky today; I have had no letter or parcels for some time & have not seen a newspaper for ages. Suppose you are keeping all the reports about our doings for me. Some of the others show them to me sometimes. How are things at home? We heard that everything is being rationed, how do they do it & what do you get? Some men have just come to us from England & say things are not nearly so bad as made out to be. Is that right? We don't get any meat now, do you? I was in Jordan valley the other day. It's quite hot down there & very unhealthy about Jericho. There are swarms of flies. It's horrible.

Letter of 24 February 1917 from George Battershill to Mrs. J. W. Battershill

France Feb 24/17
Dear. Mother.
Just a line to say I am well. but have had a nice attack of the Grippe. We are out for a rest now. & I am living with an old French woman as we are billeted in private houses. I pay her 8 pence a day. for a few extras & it sure is worth it. I have a nice clean room. two beds in it – one for another lad. & mine. It is sure nice to get between clean bed clothes again & the other night I managed with my broken French to get a hot bath & I wish I could have changed my underwear. but I was broke & could not get any more. I wrote Charlie for a £ which he sent.

On 23-24 February (8-9 March), separate groups of demonstrators penetrated the centre of Petrograd through the Liteiny and Troitsky bridges, and organized mass-meetings on Znamenskaya Square shouting the slogans "End the War!", "Down with Autocracy!", and "Bread!". Cossacks refused to act against the demonstrators. The commander of the Petrograd Military District, General S.S. Khabalov, gathered various reserve guards regiments at the city centre to enforce the security of bridges, governmental buildings and the telegraph system.

International women’s day was celebrated and this gave another push for women to come outside into the streets with claims like: “Down with hunger! Bread for workers!” “They pelted the windows of the engineering shops to bring the men out. Nikolai Sukhanov, the crotchety radical civil servant who was to become the Revolution’s diarist and victim, thought the disorders unremarkable” . He saw such things before, but this time he paid attention to the odd attitude of the authorities. The crowd started to feel power and people turned the trams upside down and wanted to sack the large bakery. The police was called “Pharaons” among people, and these Pharaons were doing actually nothing about it. Some skilled workers also joined the striking people. As the movement was growing the need to cover faces disappeared, so people from the crowd didn’t cover their faces with coats any more. Cossacks have always been a “great symbol of Russian ferocity” and people tried to ask them not to shoot, calling them their brothers, as a result the Cossacks turned away.
The tsarina didn’t take the events seriously at the beginning, in her letter to Nicky she wrote: “If the weather was cold…they probably would have stayed at home.” She thought that the young socialist Alexander Kerensky would be hanged, as during the last gathering of Duma he said that they should do to the tsar the same as Brutus did to Caesar.
The observer of those events in the streets was writing: “Quite a few people had simply missed the boat! As luck would have it, the weather stayed warm on Friday. Demonstrators were out again in force. It seemed that all of the city’s 2.5 million residents were in the streets. Something was odd in the behaviour of the Cossacks. The crowds had begun to cheer their customary tormentors. A Cossack unit was ordered to charge. The horsemen rode delicately in single file through the crowd. “Some of them smiled and one actually winked” .

February 24, 1917
The Battalion relieves the 27th Battalion in frontline Ecurie Section. Relief is completed at 13.30 pm. the trenches are very muddy.

http://www.nwbattalion.com/history5.html_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

MANIFESTO
To All The Peoples of Estonia
Never in the course of centuries have the Estonian people lost their ardent desire for Independence. From generation to generation Estonians have kept alive the secret hope that in spite of enslavement and oppression by other nations the time will come in Estonia "when all splinters, at both end, will burst forth into flames" and when "Kalev will come home to bring his children happiness."

Now this time has arrived.

Mooie tekst... http://www.president.ee/en/estonia/_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

TELEGRAM FROM THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS TO THE CENTRAL POWERS ACCEPTING THE PEACE TERMS

24 February 1918

In accordance with the decision of the All-Russiian Central Executive Committee of Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Deputies, taken on 24 February at 4.30 a.m., the Council of People's Commissars has agreed to the terms of peace proposed by the German Government and is sending a delegation to Brest-Litovsk to sign the treaty of peace.

(Signed)
Lenin, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Trotsky, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs

Captain COOTE asked the Secretary of State for War what steps are being taken to dispose of the uniforms discarded by demobilised or discharged men; whether these uniforms are being sold to dealers for trifling sums; and whether, in view of the present cost of civilian clothing, he will allow demobilised and discharged men to take away their uniforms and wear them for a certain period after demobilisation or discharge?

Captain GUEST Discarded uniforms withdrawn from soldiers are not sold to dealers for trifling sums. Where fit for further use they are cleaned and reissued to serving soldiers. If unserviceable, they are reduced to rags and the produce is sold to manufacturers for remanufacture. The proceeds from this disposal represent a considerable revenue to the State. As regards the last part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question, on demobilisation soldiers take away one suit of Service dress uniform, which they retain as their own property, and which they are permitted to wear for twenty-eight days after demobilisation.

http://nl.internationalism.org/node/624_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Royal Standard / Königsstandarte: Flag adopted 24th February 1914, abolished 1918_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in spite of the prohibition of the export of edible tallow, allowing non-edible to be exported, a quantity goes to Holland and is made edible by a simple process of refining, the only result being that the English soapmaker is deprived of his raw material; and whether he will stop the export of all grades?

Mr. ROBERTSON I think the hon. Member must be misinformed. The export of animal tallow is prohibited to all destinations except under licence, and I understand that this prohibition is held to cover non-edible as well as edible tallow.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS Is it not a fact that non-edible tallow goes out under licence?

Summary: Kahki slouch hat with emu feather plume on side. Part of complete 8th Australian Light Horse regimental uniform.
According to the Australian War Memorial, the 8th Light Horse was originally formed as the 6th Light Horse in September 1914 at the Broadmeadows training camp, then became the 8th (within the 3rd Light Horse Brigade) in the following months as the AIF rapidly expanded during World War I. The regiment sailed from Melbourne for Egypt on 24 February 1914. The light horse regiments were considered unsuitable for conditions at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses. They later defended the Suez Canal, were involved in operations in Palestine, and quelled uprest in Egypt. They sailed for home on 3 July 1919.
Description: Kahki hat with wide brim, turned up on proper left side, into which large emu feather is mounted. Tan leather chin strap. Kahki textile band around crown.

French Naval Operations, Engagements and Ship Losses in the Adriatic in World War Oneby Erwin Sieche

On 24 February 1915 the French destroyer DAGUE, while escorting the transport WHITEHEAD to Antivari [Bar] sinks after hitting a mine.

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/fadri.htm_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

The 47th Battalion was raised in Egypt on 24 February 1916 as part of the “doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its new recruits were Gallipoli veterans from the 15th Battalion, and the other half, fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 15th, the new battalion was composed mostly of men recruited in Queensland and Tasmania. The new battalion was incorporated into the 12th Brigade of the Australian Division.

Dear Mum,
Your very welcome letter (13/1/16) to hand today. Also one from Bert 2/2/16 just beginning a two weeks furlough he may be out here any time now. One from Jean Mac, dated 13/1/16 and one from Clytie dated 1/1/16. My mail is very erratic since I joined up. The papers seem to come very regularly but this is the first batch of letters I have had through the post. You didn’t give me Cousin Ernie’s address, send it as soon as you get this if you have it. I suppose he is over here by now. I suppose everything is ok at Kogarah as you didn’t mention otherwise. How is Dad’s business getting on. I hope it is going ahead and that he is keeping in good health. Have the prices of goods gone up much since I left and is the money you get from us quite sufficient or could you do with a little more. You see while we are out here the money mounts up in our pay books and as there is nothing to spend it on, it might just as well be put to some use at home. If you don’t need any I’ll send it on to Clytie. How is the house standing the test of time, any more defects noticeable yet, & what about the youngsters. Did the “One & Only” belonging to Viola interview the Military authorities re a free trip to this serene & placid shore. “If not” – in the words of the war census cards – “Why not” but perhaps I am too inquisitive. A sister-in-law of mine is in the same or a similar predicament, only rather more developed. The youth was, & I believe, still is, going to enlist after -? but when one event is past another intervenes. (ad infinitum). I don’t know anything definite, but a marriage which was to occur about Easter may also get into the same bad habit. So Barbara Park & Harold Finley have done the trick. That makes the second due to the Fellowship. I wonder who’ll be next from that quarter. Did you send Nurse Jackson one of my photos. Met Bill over here, he looks well but doesn’t feel too keen on the life. Glad to know that Clytie is often out to see you all & that she is keeping her pecker up O.K. I suppose I’ll have to hurry up & come home again as I’m not too anxious to have that nipper spoilt. However, I think it will manage to hold its own even against the two Grannys & seven aunts if it follows my tactics during early infancy. There is practically no news here and rumours are consequently very frequent & varied. According to them we are to set out any time from now up to three months ahead for each & every “front” there is and, of course, all the armies on all the “fronts” are only waiting for our arrival to march on Berlin. I see that there have been anti-German riots on the north coast. Wonder if Peggys husband was involved. Nurse Jackson’s eldest daughters husband. Krauss at Lismore had his place smashed & lost all his stock. He was a saddler up there & had a good biz before war broke out. Suppose its not much now. Those rioters would do much more good if they’d shoulder a rifle & come over here instead of playing such a cowardly part but that, I suppose is all they are fit for.

Must close now best love & wishes to you all

Your loving son
Viv

http://www.smythe.id.au/letters/viv_1.htm_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

(...) Britain herself was not enthusiastic at all about an eventual participation of its Portuguese ally in the war. The British held the Portuguese armed forces in the utmost (even racist) contempt and considered the country as a whole an absolutely worthless ally, incapable of defending itself and its colonies, let alone giving some sort of positive contribution to the British war effort. [2]. Thus, despite skirmishes between German and Portuguese colonial troops and tribal revolts in Africa instigated by Germany were taking place since August 1914, in the same month the Portuguese government, under pressure from Britain, declared its neutrality, while reaffirming that the country was still bound by its old alliance with the United Kingdom. By 1915, though, the raising and training of a military force had already begun.

Only the relentless butchery on the Western front convinced the British and French commands that the Portuguese forces could be of some use. Portugal was therefore "allowed" to enter the war. The actual cause of the formal German declaration of war on 9 March 1916 was the seizure of 36 German and Austro-Hungarian merchant ships anchored in front of Lisbon since the beginning of the war on 24 February 1916, at Britain's request. These were to be used by Portugal to carry vital foodstuffs for the civilian population (or so ran the official version).

Despite Portugal's assurance that the ships would be handed back to Germany and indemnities paid, the German minister (Ambassador) Van Rosen delivered a formal declaration of war by Germany on 9 March 1916, claiming Portugal was an "English vassal" and the seizure of the ships was an intentional provocation (the latter being of course absolutely correct). Portugal promptly reciprocated by declaring war on Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

When World War I broke out in 1914, the Istanbul Government couldn't keep its impartiality and was obliged to enter the war on the side of Germany. Disastrous days for Trabzon began. The city was bombed by 23 Russian warship on 1st November 1914. Bomb-shells followed one another, and a large group of young people from Trabzon died in the battle of Sarikamis in the east of Turkey. As the bombardments were continuing, Russian land troops passed the shore border on 24th February 1916 and occupied Rize and came to the border of Of. The people of Of and its sub-districts joined the 2500 soldiers under the command of Gurcu Avni Pasa, the commander of that region. They stopped the Russian Army on the border of Trabzon, in spite of the good state of the Russian army.

http://www.allaboutturkey.com/trabzon.htm_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Before the United States entered World War I, there was strong resistance against the war among the American people. In fact, Woodrow Wilson's reelection in 1916 was at least partly due to his success in keeping the U.S. out of that European war. However, the German decision in early January of 1917 to resume unrestricted submarine warfare led President Wilson to break diplomatic relations with Germany. During the next two months, five American ships were attacked by German U-boats.

On 24 February 1917, British intelligence informed the U.S. of a telegram sent by German foreign secretary Alfred Zimmerman to the German ambassador in Mexico. The telegram suggested that if the U.S. did enter the war against Germany, then Germany, Japan, and Mexico should form an alliance. The telegram also promised to return to Mexico its "lost territories" of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

On 2 April, Wilson went before Congress and called for a declaration of war. Both the House and the Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of going to war with Germany.

On Wednesday evening a Serbian, Captain Dimitrivitch took Dr Muncaster and me up to his camp. We went up on a funny kind of waggon as no cars can go on the track. It is only open for the food and ammunition carts going up to the front. It is right along the side of Mount Kajmakchalan, and we saw the trenches and barbed wire entanglements just as they left them. I don't think I realized until then what the Serbs had done. It must be one of the most wonderful things that has happened during the war. Even though they are worn out from years of fighting, tormented by the knowledge that the Bulgars had killed most members of their families, without blankets proper food and clothing, the Serbs will never give up a yard of their country. They must have paid a heavy price for this great bleak mountain.

When America entered the war, Hoover headed to Washington, D.C., as U.S. food administrator; he was a volunteer receiving no salary. His goal was to rationalize the production and distribution of food for the war effort. When the war ended in November 1918, Hoover transformed the Food Administration into the American Relief Administration (ARA) to help Europe recover from the devastating aftermath of the war. On 24 February 1919 Congress appropriated $100 million for the ARA. Undamaged by war, the United States provided the bulk of relief assistance, including food, medical supplies, other goods, and credits to Europe after World War I. Concerned for efficiency and for U.S. public relations, Hoover insisted that Americans, rather than the Allies, supervise the relief efforts.

Hoover and other Americans were motivated by humanitarianism and other factors. Food surpluses in pork, wheat, and other commodities, fostered by the Food Administration's efforts to stimulate production to support the war effort, now served to feed Europe. Hoover was criticized for being motivated more by concern for the American economy than by genuine humanitarian feeling. Hoover claimed food was not political, but it occasionally was. He ensured the flow of food to nurture new countries in eastern Europe, but to discourage Bolshevism in Hungary, Hoover temporarily withheld food aid from Bela Kun, leader of the communist revolution there. Certainly, Hoover believed that food and other supplies would help provide greater order and stability. Food promoted peacemaking in that sense, and if at the same time it reduced the appeal of Bolshevism, all the better. On the other hand, Hoover opposed an Allied invasion of Soviet Russia.

After the armistice the Allies held back humanitarian relief to the defeated powers until Germany signed the peace terms. When they did, Hoover tried to get food to Germany partly to use up the American surplus but largely out of his desire to feed hungry people. The AFSC helped coordinate relief assistance to Germany. In some ways it served as a buffer between the ARA, which had helped Belgium and was seen as anti-German, and the German American community. It was expected that the German Americans would offer substantial support for German relief, especially since they had contributed proportionately less after the war than Hungarian, Polish, and South Slavic Americans.

Hoover assisted the German relief effort by providing $5 million in ARA funds. The ARC became deeply involved in providing civilian relief once the war ended. The Inter-Allied Relief Commission recommended that the ARC focus on civilian relief in eastern Europe. Surplus army food, equipment, and supplies were handed over to the Red Cross following congressional approval. It was not until 1923 that the American Red Cross brought the last of its foreign civilian relief workers home. Once again, while relief was intended to respond to an emergency, occasional attempts were made to have a lasting impact on the societies where relief was provided. For example, in central and eastern Europe the Red Cross helped communities develop health centers that were designed to promote child welfare.

In late 1919 the publicly funded ARA endowed private organizations for specific tasks, essentially privatizing the relief effort. One such organization was the Children's Relief Bureau, later renamed the American Relief Administration Children's Fund. Although it continued to provide important feeding and health services to Europe's children, it also was the vehicle by which the ARA became a private relief agency under Hoover's leadership. Although Hoover had objected to U.S. intervention against the Bolsheviks, he used the ARA to provide support for the anti-Soviet White Russian forces. The ARC also offered relief to the anti-Soviet forces.

In 1921 Hoover, now secretary of commerce, responded to word of a devastating Russian famine in the Volga region. American assistance for famine relief included the work of the ARA, the Volga Relief Society, the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Friends Service Committee, the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund, and others. Despite concern in the United States that the assistance would succor the Bolshevik regime, Hoover was successful in rallying new congressional appropriations for the ARA. Agricultural interests supported such funding because of eagerness for subsidies, but the measure passed largely because of a widespread understanding that regardless of anti-Bolshevik feeling, this famine threatened large-scale suffering. Soviet authorities, at first suspicious, cooperated with Hoover, and American relief assistance prevented the loss of millions of lives.

Domestic American support for the relief effort was high when the war ended, but Americans soon turned inward, disillusioned by the results of war in Europe, consumed by developments at home, and eager to return to their regular peacetime pursuits. Despite pleas by ARC officials that relief work counteracted the threat of Bolshevism, Americans were less willing than during the war to support relief efforts either through volunteer activities or financial contributions. Despite the decline in giving, it still exceeded prewar levels. In 1919 and 1920, $35 million was spent in the United States and $75 million was spent for overseas relief. By the end of 1922, $15 million in additional funds went to foreign relief.

Total U.S. relief efforts in the armistice and rehabilitation period were approximately $1.255 billion. Much of it came from the ARA, the European Relief Council, and other U.S. agencies (including loans and congressional appropriations); about 10 percent came from the Red Cross. In an unprecedented effort, a cooperative fundraising campaign called United War Work raised $200 million for seven relief organizations. Despite extensive American generosity, loans required repayment and would later spark European resentment against the United States.

While many relief organizations had ceased operations by the early 1920s, some, like the AFSC, became permanent. The American Red Cross grew dramatically. Increasingly, the ARC was operated by paid professionals rather than volunteers. The monthly payroll grew from less than $12,000 per month in 1914 to $1 million in 1919. As support for foreign relief fell, ARC officials determined to expand domestic operations. Increasingly, the ARC engaged in activities designed to promote health and well-being on a permanent basis rather than concentrating on responding to emergencies. While this shift focused largely on the domestic front during the interwar period, it set precedents for an expanded understanding of the role of relief agencies that was later applied abroad.

On 6th January and 24th February 1919, the Accrington Prisoners of War Committee organized events to celebrate the return from camps in Germany of more than 280 men of Accrington, Church, Oswaldtwistle and Clayton-le-Moors. The names and addresses of those men in attendance at the two events were published in the Accrington Gazette on 11th January and 1st March 1919

http://www.pals.org.uk/pow/index.htm_________________
“I hope you live a life you are proud of. If you find that you are not, l hope you have the strength to start all over again.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald